Mary Frances Berry

Mary Frances Berry, born on February 17, 1938, is an American historian, writer, lawyer, activist, and professor, with a focus on U.S. constitutional and legal, African-American history. She currently serves as the Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought at the University of Pennsylvania, teaching American legal history. Berry has a strong background in academia, having previously served as the provost of the College of Behavioral and Social Science at the University of Maryland, College Park, and as the first African American chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is also known for her role as the former chairwoman of the United States Commission on Civil Rights. Berry's upbringing in Nashville, Tennessee, included attending segregated schools and spending time in an orphanage due to family circumstances.